Can't Think of One
by Witch of the West
Summary: Two-Bit's sister gets closer to the gang. A/N: Dally and Johnny didn't die.
1. Cars and Knives

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Julie  
  
Rating: PG  
  
On to the story -  
  
Johnny and Ponyboy walked into Two-Bit's house just as his kid sister, Julie, was rushing out. Two-Bit was in the messy living room of his with Dally, Soda and Steve. Darry was still at work.  
  
"Was that Julie?" Ponyboy asked. "She hurried out so fast that I couldn't tell."  
  
"Yeah. She's off doing something again," Two-Bit said.  
  
"You're really informed Two-Bit." That remark came from Dally's end of the living room.  
  
"How old is she now?" Steve asked.  
  
"About Ponyboy's age. A little older maybe."  
  
"Keith! You know your sister's sixteenth birthday is next week!" Two-Bit's mother shouted from their kitchen.  
  
"I know Mom!" he shouted back.  
  
"Sixteen?!?" Dally asked. "She doesn't look older than thirteen, maybe fourteen."  
  
"I know. She doesn't wear make-up or dress like the older girls around here. I guess that's a good thing." The gang nodded in agreement. "The only thing I don't like is that she carries a blade. She started carrying it a year ago."  
  
"You let her carry a blade?" Soda asked.  
  
"I don't let her carry it, she just does. There's nothing I can do about it."  
  
The sound of the door opening was heard in the living room. Julie walked past the gang and towards her room.  
  
"Back so soon?" Two-Bit asked.  
  
"Yeah, but only for a minute. I'm meeting Jen and Tracy downtown later," she answered as she came back into the room. "I'll call you if I need a ride."  
  
"Can't. The brakes are out again."  
  
"Call us. We'll give you a ride," Sodapop said.  
  
"Alright." She headed for the door. "See you later!" The door was opened and closed once again.  
  
"She's going to get herself killed one of these days," Two-Bit said.  
  
At about 10:30 the phone rang in the Curtis house. Soda picked it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey. Soda?" It was Julie.  
  
"Hey. Yeah, it's Soda."  
  
"Can you come pick me up?"  
  
"Sure. Where are you?"  
  
"At The Dingo. I'll be waiting inside."  
  
"Okay. I'll find you."  
  
"Thank you Sodapop." Soda was taken aback. She had never called him  
  
"Sodapop" before, it was always "Soda".  
  
"You're welcome. I'll be right down." He hung up the phone and got his jacket. He walked out of the house and got into the Ford owned by he and his brothers. He started the engine, put the truck in drive and drove off.  
  
Soda parked in front of The Dingo and got out of the car. He went into the building and looked for Julie. He found her sitting by herself in a booth. She was playing with her switchblade. She turned and saw Soda walking toward her. She put her blade away and stood up to face him.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"Come on, let's get you home." Soda led her outside. They got into the truck and Soda put the key into the ignition and started the car.  
  
"Sodapop," she started. He turned to her. "Thank you so much."  
  
"You're welcome, just do me one favor."  
  
"Okay, what?"  
  
"Don't carry a blade, please. I know you want to but it's a good excuse to get beaten up. I don't want that to happen to you."  
  
Julie didn't say anything. Soda continued to drive her hone. No one said anything the rest of the way. When he got to her house, Soda stopped the car and turned off the engine. They sat there in silence.  
  
"I can't," Julie said.  
  
"Can't what?"  
  
"Promise you that I won't carry a blade."  
  
"Why not?" Julie took off her seatbelt, turned so her back was facing him and lifted her shirt so her mid-back was showing. There were scars going up, down and around her back. She put her shirt back down and turned back to face him.  
  
"That's why."  
  
"You were attacked."  
  
" I was jumped by some Socs. They knew I was Two-Bit's sister. It was after the rumble a year ago. They found me at the school. They followed me and attacked me." Julie was close to tears. "I'm sorry." She opened the door and got out, Soda followed. He went around to the front of the car and stopped her.  
  
"It's okay. It's okay," Soda said to her. He hugged her. "Anytime you need anything, let me know." She nodded, and then she stepped away from him and took out her blade. She took Soda's hand and put the blade into it.  
  
"I promise," she said. She hugged him again and turned and walked into her house. Soda stood there looking after her, then he looked at the knife in his hand.  
  
"No Soda, you can't. She's your buddy's kid sister. Just get back into your car and go home. Don't go up there," he said to himself, but he didn't follow his own command. He knocked on the door and Julie answered. She was already in her pajamas.  
  
"Soda? What's going on?"  
  
"I can't keep this. Take your blade back," he said, handing back her knife. She took it back.  
  
"I won't use it."  
  
Soda hugged her and kissed her on her forehead.  
  
"Take care," he said.  
  
"I will. You too." Soda left and went back to the car. He turned and waved to her, she waved back. Soda got into the car and left as Julie closed the door.  
  
TBC: What do you think? Please review. 


	2. Balls and Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Outsider characters. I only own Julie.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Soda was skipping when he entered his house. Ponyboy and Darry were in the kitchen.  
  
"Soda, what are you so happy about?" Darry asked.  
  
"Nothing," Soda responded.  
  
"Where were you?" Ponyboy asked.  
  
"I was giving Julie a ride home."  
  
"Oh. Okay, never mind," Ponyboy said.  
  
"Huh?" Darry questioned.  
  
"Soda likes a girl. Soda likes Julie."  
  
"What? No I don't!" Soda said defensively to Ponyboy.  
  
"Yeah you do," Pony said.  
  
"Forget it," Soda said. He left and went into his and Ponyboy's room.  
  
The next week the gang was in the lot playing football. Darry, Ponyboy, Johnny and Two-Bit were playing against Soda, Steve and Dally. They stopped for a break. They all flopped on the ground.  
  
"Darry give me the football. Johnny and I are going to practice kicking," Ponyboy said. Darry tossed him the football. "Thanks." He and Johnny went a good distance away from the guys incase a kick went wild. Johnny kicked it over Ponyboy's head and into the trees. Pony went to retrieve it. The rest of the guys watched as Ponyboy ran back to Johnny without the football, but with a look of horror on his face. Johnny rushed after Pony into the trees. The rest of the guys followed. They were taken aback when they saw what Ponyboy had discovered.  
  
"Soda, get Two-Bit out of here!" Ponyboy yelled to his brother. Soda found Two-Bit and they left without taking their eyes off of Ponyboy's discovery.  
  
"I want to know what's going on!" They could hear Two-Bit yelling.  
  
"We don't know what's going on," Soda was trying to calm him down.  
  
"That's my sister! God! What's going on Soda?"  
  
"Do you think she's." Dally started.  
  
"No, she's breathing," Ponyboy said. Julie was going in and out of consciousness. Darry moved forward and picked Julie up. He carried her out of the trees and headed towards his house. The gang followed him, Two-Bit and Soda brought up the rear. They were close to tears.  
  
Darry put her down on Soda and Ponyboy's bed. Soda walked in and sat in a chair. Darry looked at him.  
  
"I'm staying with her," Soda said firmly.  
  
"Okay," Darry said. He left and joined the others in the kitchen. Two-Bit was pacing.  
  
"How could this happen to her?" He was getting angry and frustrated. "What happened to her blade?"  
  
"She stopped carrying it," Ponyboy said.  
  
"What?" Two-Bit asked.  
  
"At least that's what she told me at school."  
  
"They beat her up and she wasn't armed? I'm going to kill them!" Two-Bit was fed up. He left the house. The rest of the gang ran out after him. Soda heard them leave, so did Julie.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Soda?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me. Don't talk. It's okay."  
  
"They were the same ones as last time. The same ones, Soda. Why? I couldn't even fight back. They still beat me up. Why Soda? Why did they do it?"  
  
"Because they are sick animals." Soda had tears steaming down his face. "Does Two-Bit know that you were attacked last year?" Julie didn't say anything. Soda took hold of her hand. He held it in silence for a few minutes. The gang returning to the house interrupted the silence.  
  
"I'll go see what they're up to," Soda said. He let go of her hand, got up and left. He went into the kitchen and saw a crying Two-Bit. He wiped the tears from his own eyes and announced his presence.  
  
"Hey guys," he said.  
  
"How's she doing?" Two-Bit asked.  
  
"She's sleeping right now."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"She's doing okay Two-Bit."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"I'm going to go back in there and make sure she wakes up later."  
  
"Thanks Soda."  
  
"Don't worry about it." He left the kitchen and went back to Julie. She smiled a little when he walked in.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered when he got closer.  
  
"You're welcome," he whispered back. He looked at his hands and noticed there was blood on them. He took Julie's hand and looked at it.  
  
"I'm going to get a washcloth and wipe this blood off of you." Julie nodded. Soda went into the bathroom and got the washcloth as promised. He took Julie's hand and started to clean her hand. After her hands had no more blood on them, he moved to her neck. Once her neck was clean he moved upward to her face.  
  
He started with her chin. He followed her mouth line and ended at her nose. He cleaned her left cheek then her right. She closed her eyes when the washcloth moved to her forehead. Soda put the washcloth down. He brought his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek and she smiled. Their faces were inches apart. Soda closed the gap and kissed her. Julie pulled away quickly and with a painful gasp. Soda looked away, embarrassed.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," he said. Julie pulled his shirt so his face was again inches from hers.  
  
"It wasn't you," she said. She kissed him but very softly. When Soda pulled away he smiled.  
  
"I'll get you some ice."  
  
"Thank you." Soda left for the briefest moment. He came back with a bag of ice wrapped in a towel. He handed it to her and she put it on her stomach against her ribs.  
  
"Thank you," she said again. "Maybe you should go in the kitchen. The guys are in there and I could use some sleep."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay." Soda got up, kissed Julie on her forehead and left.  
  
"What are you going to do for Julie's birthday?" Ponyboy asked as Soda walked into the kitchen.  
  
"I don't know. It's in two days. I don't know if we'll do anything," Two- Bit said. He looked at Soda and Soda nodded.  
  
TBC: How was that? More? Please review. 


End file.
